The present invention relates to fire hydrants and more specifically to nozzles for fire hydrants.
Fire hydrants are in widespread use across the United States and most major industrialized countries. A typical fire hydrant includes one or more nozzles for securing one or more fire hoses, pumper supply hoses or other accessories to the hydrant. A single hydrant may include nozzles of different sizes, such as hose nozzles and pumper nozzles. For example, a hydrant may include a hose nozzle that can receive one end of a fire hose to allow water to flow through the hose to the point of use, such as a fire. As another example, the hydrant may include a pumper nozzle that can receive one end of a pumper supply hose to allow water to be supplied to a pumper.
Many conventional fire hydrants include an upper standpipe and a bonnet that are exposed above ground. The upper standpipe may be bolted to a lower standpipe or other similar structure that provides a flow path from an underground water source. The bonnet is typically mounted to the top of the upper standpipe to close off its upper end and seat the hydrant's operating nut. With a conventional hydrant, the nozzle (or nozzles) is mounted in the upper standpipe and/or in the bonnet. Typically, one or more nozzle openings are formed through the upper standpipe and/or bonnet. To facilitate installation of a nozzle, each nozzle opening is typically cast or machined to provide an appropriate interface surface and is provided with some type of integrated interlocking structure to assist in securing the nozzle to the hydrant. For example, in some applications, the nozzle may be secured to the hydrant with a quarter-turn fitting. In those applications, the hydrant may be formed with integral quarter-turn structure surrounding each nozzle opening and the nozzles may be formed with integral quarter-turn lugs configured to operate with the quarter-turn structure surrounding each nozzle opening. During assembly of the hydrant, the nozzles may be installed in the nozzle openings by inserting the quarter-turn lugs of the nozzle into the quarter-turn structure surrounding the nozzle openings and rotating the nozzle until the quarter-turn fitting secures the nozzle. To lock the nozzle in the installed position, the nozzle may include one or more set screws that can be extended into set screw openings in the hydrant to prevent rotation of the nozzle with respect to the hydrant.
Hydrant nozzles are typically manufactured from copper alloy. With the current salvage value of copper alloy, municipalities are facing a growing number of nozzle thefts. Because many hydrants are located in public places readily accessible to would-be thieves, it can be difficult to prevent the removal and theft of nozzles. It can be difficult for a municipality to keep up with replacing nozzles that are stolen. To address this problem, some municipalities have begun to remove the nozzles from the hydrants when they are not in use. Although this helps to address the problem of theft, it creates the need for a simple and effective mechanism that quickly and securely secures a nozzle to a hydrant. It is undesirable for the nozzle to separate from the hydrant during use, particularly when the hydrant and hose are under pressure.
In view of the foregoing, at least one fire hydrant nozzle intended for removable use has been available in the market. This removable fire hydrant nozzle is intended for use with hydrants that have a conventional quarter-turn fitting to receive nozzles. With a conventional quarter-turn fitting, the nozzle includes a pair of opposed lugs that selectively interlock with a receptacle in the hydrant. The receptacle includes a pair of helical channels capable of receiving the lugs and a pair of opposed mouths that allow the lugs to be fitted into and removed from the channels. In use, the nozzle is installed by fitting the nozzle into the receptacle by pushing the lugs through the mouths into the channels. The nozzle is then turned approximately ninety degrees so that the lugs travel along the helical channels out of alignment with the mouths. Because of the helical configuration of the channels, the nozzle is drawn inwardly into tighter engagement with the receptacle as it is rotated toward the seated position. The removable nozzle includes a one-piece spring steel locking tab that interlocks with a lug mouth when the nozzle has been rotated into the fully installed position. It is necessary to manually hold the spring steel tab down while the nozzle is fitted into the receptacle. After insertion, the tab can be released by the operator. The need to manipulate the tab during installation makes the process somewhat cumbersome. The locking tab is installed on the nozzle in a location where it will automatically spring into the lug mouth when the nozzle has been rotated one-quarter turn into the installed position. Once it has engaged the lug mouth, the locking tab resists reverse rotation of the nozzle, which is necessary to remove the nozzle. To remove the nozzle from the hydrant, the operator must reach in, manually bend the spring steel locking tab back until it disengages from lug mouth and hold it in the disengaged position while rotating the nozzle.